Central Communication is a constantly advancing field when you think
of new technologies being implemented in business. Communication between
management and subordinates is increasingly becoming more and more difficult as
industries become globalized. Mobile communication has drastically advanced in
the past decade. The most recent innovation is satellite phone systems such as
the Iridium, which was the topic of the article I researched. With this new
technology users can make and receive calls from anywhere in the world without
the hassle of having to worry about the compatibility of local phone systems.
The iridium system has cost roughly five billion dollars. The system is composed
of 66 satellites in low earth orbit four hundred and twenty miles above the
earth's surface. Currently, the technology hardware is very expensive. The
actual units fit the profile of what you would expect. It is compact,
lightweight, and are capable of a continuous talk time of about two hours. A
single phone unit goes for about $3,000. Service costs about $1.70 a minute plus
long distance charges. Pagers are also available for about $500 a piece. This
may seem high for individual use, but for a billion-dollar corporation supplying
subordinates with this communication device, it may be a reasonable cost.